Ripping device



(No Model.)

13. A. REYNOLDS.

RIPPING DEVICE.

No. 596,789. Patented Jan. 4, 1898 Jim I INVENTOI? ATTORNEY TNL ucam#:TLHS ca, PnoTo-L'ITHQ, WASHINGTON. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FRANK A. REYNOLDS, OF LElVISTON, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO STEPHENl-I. MANNING, OF SAME PLACE, AND HERSCHEL C. PARKER,

RIPPING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,789, dated January4, 1898.

Application filed April 21, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK A. REYNOLDS, of Lewiston, in the county ofAndroscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ripping Devices, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention. relates to improvements in that class of devices which areused for rip- 1o ping scams or cutting material; and the object of myinvention is to produce a very simple, cheap, and practical device whichcan be used to advantage as an attachment to an ordinary sewing-machineor which, if desired, can be used independently, which Will fit anysewing-machine, so as to be run conveniently from the fly-wheel, whichcan be attached while the machine is in motion, so as to make itadaptable for shop purposes where the sewing-machine is run by power,which can be quickly and securely clamped to the machine or othersupport, and which when in operation works very rapidly and with nodanger of injuring the operator or the material being operated on.

To these ends my invention consists of a ripping device, theconstruction and arrangement of which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device as applied to an ordinarysewing-machine, a portion of the driving-band being broken away. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the device, showing the means for operating theknife; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken from the op- 40 posite sideto that illustrated in Fig, 2.

The device has a suitable frame or base 10, which is adapted to situpright on any convenient support, being particularly adapted forattachment to a sewing-machine table or 45 bed, and this frame can be ofany approved shape or construction and, as illustrated, has

a laterallyextending slotted arm 11, which is adapted to receive aclamping-screw 12 and by the screw be fastened securely to the tableSerial No. 633,128. No model.)

13 of a sewing-machine or to any other suitable support.

The front of the frame 10 merges in a shield or guard 14, which ispreferably concaved slightly from top to bottom, so as to provide forthe knife to be presently referred to, and which is convex incross-section, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the material can be readilyapplied to the knife and parted conveniently in order that the knife maywork to the best possible advantage.

The guard 14 has a vertical slot 15, through which projects the edge 16of the oscillating knife 17, and the slotted guard 14: thus serves as aguide for the knife, so that the latter moves regularly in a verticalplane and cannot be readily displaced, while the knife by being arrangedso as to project slightly through the guard, as shown in the drawings,is enabled to cut the material to advantage, but without danger ofinjuring either the ma terial or the fingers of the operator.

The knife can be moved in several ways without affecting the principleof the invention; but I find that it cuts best with an oscillatingmotion, and to this end the knife is pivoted on a screw 18 or equivalentfulcrum, which is fastened to the frame 10, and the knife has aprojecting rear end with a longitudinal slot 19 therein, which receivesand is actuated by the crank 20 on the disk 21, this disk being carriedby the shaft 22, which is journaled on the frame 10 and driven by apulley 28. Obviously the crank 20 may form a part of the shaft 22, andit will be understood that the knife may also be driven in any otherwell-known manner without de parting from the principle of theinvention.

The pulley 23 is preferably a grooved pulley having a friction-band 2i,preferably of rubber, thereon, and by bringing this band into frictionalcontact with a fly-wheel 25 of a sewing-machine the pulley 23 and crankshaft 22 are rapidly driven, and the crank 20, acting on the knife 17,rapidly oscillates the latter on its pivot- 18, so that the edge 16 cutsrapidly into the material which is brought against it. Instead of usingthe band 24: a belt 26 can be applied to the pulley 23, as

shown in Fig. 3, and the operation is exactly as already described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the device can bevery easily applied to any ordinary sewing-machine, or that it can beused independently, if preferred, and that in either case the knife canbe made to cut rapidly and with little danger to either operator ormaterial.

The construction of the frame or support 10 can be departed from, butthe form shown is particularly appropriate and very cheap andsubstantial. I therefore make this frame the subject of a claim, but donot limit the invention to any particular form. of frame or support.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A ripping device, comprising a frame having anupright web and a vertically-slotted laterally-spreading guard at itsforward edge, a knife pivoted to the Web so as to oscillate thereon andhaving its cutting edge projecting through the slot of the guard, andmeans for imparting motion to the knife, substantially as described.

2. A device of the kind described, comprisin g a supporting-frame havinga vertical Web provided With a curved or beveled forward edge, and awing or extension on one side thereof forming a continuation of thebeveled forward edge of the Web and extending in an opposite directionthereto so as to provide a guard to spread the material to be cut and toprotect the operator, said guard being vertically slotted at thejunction of the wing and Web, a knife having its cutting edge projectingthrough the slot in the guard and means for operating the knife,substantially as described.

3. A device of the kinddescribed, comprising a frame or support havingat one edge a slotted guard, an'oscillating knife fulcrumed on thesupport and having its edge projecting through the guard, the knifehaving a slotted rear end, a crank-shaft journaled on the support andhaving its crank extending into the slot of the knife and means forrotating the crank shaft, substantially as described.

FRANK A. REYNOLDS.

Vitnesses:

Louis 0. REINTORD, FANNIE V. SAUNDERS.

